Group Games

[Amber]

I have been trying to wrap my head around the concept of a Group Game for a while and I suppose I should finally ask for someone to clarify this for me.

I always assumed that a "Solo" game was two player and anything more than two player was a "Group" game. After doing a little E-research I discovered that a "Group" game (at least on E) is a game in which multiple players require more than one thread. This new information has left me wholly confused as to what warrants more than one thread and, by extension, what a Group game is.

In the Small Group games forum I understand that there is the Game thread and the OOC thread in which players may discuss where they'd like to go from a certain point in the story. What about other threads, though? Would a single game have more than those two threads and what purpose would other threads serve? I am going based off of the guide that I read which explained "Group games can have twice as many threads as there are members." Why is there a need for that many threads? Is it simply to organize certain story arcs or perhaps to organize settings? For example in a Dorm School based Roleplay, would there be a thread for the Dorms and a thread for the Classes?

I am a little confused, also, as to how players are split up. I always assumed that, in a game with more than two people, there would be a set posting order in which the players would decide who posts after whom. If there are multiple threads, though, would they all switch threads together or is that based entirely on the plot? For example if two students are in the Dorms and two are in the Classes then those four players would split into two groups to play.

Is there some sort of "Default" way of playing a Group game or is that entirely up to the GM and the players?

I'm probably getting a little technical here but I've become more interested in the concept of a Group game lately and I never jump into anything without first understanding what it is that I'm doing. It's sort of the equivalent of being abandoned in a city in which you've never been - I'd like to get my bearings.

[Caeli]

There is no "default" way that group games are run - it really depends on the GM, the game, or the players in question.

As you said, solo threads are games with only one thread - technically, a roleplay with three or four people, that only takes place in one thread, would be considered a "solo" roleplay.

For group games, additional threads beyond the OOC thread might include OOC character sheets with character profiles, and IC threads with different locations. For example, a boarding school roleplay might have one thread for separate rooms - kitchen, parlor, dorms, gardens, etc. But a roleplay of a futuristic sci-fi voyaging-and-adventuring roleplay might have threads for each planet, in each spaceship, etc.

Posting order is decided by the group. Some groups establish a posting order, others don't. It really depends on the nature of the game.

The best way to learn is to participate in a group game, though. :) I've really enjoyed my experiences with group games.

[Amber]

I know that learning comes from experience but I hate participating in anything without knowing some background. New territory scares me and I'd like to be comfortable if I am to participate in something like this.

Thank you for the answer! It definitely helped.